The New England Patriots lost their first game of the year in a relatively one-sided 31-20 affair against the Jacksonville Jaguars. While several things went wrong down in Jacksonville, the most apparent issue was a familiar one. The New England Patriots edge defense was exploited all game long, as just about every player was incapable of containing outside runs from quarterbacks and running backs alike.
New England Patriots Edge Defense Comes Up Short Again
Even with Leonard Fournette out of the game, the Jaguars had their way against the Patriots on the ground. T.J. Yeldon ran for 58 yards on ten carries, while Corey Grant added 13 rushing yards on four carries. Even quarterback Blake Bortles added 35 yards on five carries.
The biggest issue is that most of this production came on runs off the edge. Time and time again, the New England Patriots edge defenders overpursued and lost their gap integrity. Adrian Clayborn, in particular, had a rough game, as he constantly overshot the play and allowed Bortles to pick up a sizable chunk of his rushing yards.
Per SharpFootballStats.com, Jacksonville averaged 9.3 yards per carry on runs off left tackle. They attacked this area over and over again, and the Patriots could do nothing to stop it. While the Jaguars only picked up three yards on runs off right tackle, they only ran it there one time. There’s nothing to learn some sample sizes that small.
An Unwelcome Blast to the Past
These struggles with defending the edge are not unique to the Jacksonville game. Edge defense was probably the biggest flaw with the 2017 Patriots, and the numbers back up that claim. Last year, the Patriots defense allowed 5.9 yards per carry on runs off left tackle. That number was even worse on the right edge, as the Patriots allowed an absurd 7.1 yards per rush on running plays off right tackle.
Unfortunately, this issue also propped up in Week One against the Houston Texans. While the defense as a whole performed admirably in Week One, they still struggled with runs off the edge. Houston running backs and quarterbacks averaged 10.6 yards per rush off left tackle and 6.0 yards per rush off right tackle. Granted, a lot of this production came when Houston was facing a major deficit and New England wasn’t as concerned with stopping the rush. Still, it’s an unfortunate trend that the Patriots need to address.
How To Fix The Issue
The severity of this problem directly correlates to the severity of Trey Flowers’ concussion. Flowers is easily the best edge defender against the run, and his absence was a major factor in this game. Flowers typically lines up against the opposing left tackle, and it’s no coincidence that the Patriots allowed two fewer yards per carry on runs to his side of the field in 2017. Nobody knows the severity of his injury, but hopefully, he can return to the field sooner rather than later.
Should Flowers return to the lineup, the Patriots will still need somebody to shore up the other edge of the defensive line. Should they look for an in-house option, linebacker Kyle Van Noy should be the top choice. Van Noy, traditionally an interior linebacker, spent most Week One setting the right edge. He did a surprisingly good job with the role, keeping Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in the pocket and limiting Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue’s production. Van Noy spent most of his time against Jacksonville in his traditional linebacker position, but the Patriots may want to re-examine that plan moving forward. These two cannot do it alone, but right now, they look like the best edge defenders the Patriots have.
Should the Patriots look for an outside option, they could turn to a player like free agent Brian Robison. Robison spent the past 11 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, serving as a solid defensive end. While he’s not the player he once was, he could still be a solid rotational piece. He’s solid against the run and could be a good early-down edge option.
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